The joy of the more intimate moments on Beyoncé's current world tour – when she appears on a stage in the middle of the arena, and holds her microphone down to fans so they can sing along – is tempered somewhat by the knowledge that the area surrounding this B-stage is usually reserved for fans who have paid top whack for upgraded tickets, but one incident during a recent Manchester show was genuinely thrilling.

In the weeks approaching Beyoncé's tour, eminently likable but occasionally unlucky former X-Factor champion Joe McElderry had been expressing his interest in attending her sold-out show. In one tweet to fans he said how jealous he was of everyone attending the gig, and that he would need to try to get his hands on some tickets. On the night of the show he tweeted: "I am seeing beyonce tonight!! i managed to sort tickets!!" They were good seats too: "i can touch the stage from my seat!" he gasped an hour later.

A happy ending, then, but the story wasn't quite over. The next morning YouTube footage showed Beyoncé passing her mic to a thrilled McElderry during Love on Top, permitting Joe to sing a few "ba ba das" to his idol. It's not quite the full duet a household name might have hoped for and it doesn't pack the punch of Beyoncé's collaboration with another X Factor winner, because Alexandra Burke's performance with Knowles in the 2009 final, during which Burke was an emotional wreck, will never be topped. But the impressed look on Knowles's face as she took back the mic has hopefully made up for all that frightful business McElderry endured at the hands of Rage Against the Machine.